Tapping apparatus



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ANTHONY P. SMITH, OF NEYVARK, NEIV JERSEY.

TAPPING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,716, dated November8, 1892.

Application letl January 8, 1892. Serial No. 417,359. l (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it kno-wn that I, ANTHONY P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tapping Apparatus; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked hereon,which form a partof this specilicaion. v

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of tappingapparatus represented by the one shown in my prior patent, No. 419,974,and more particularly to that portion of said apparatus which providesmeans for preventing the disk or section cut from the main or itsconnections from falling into said main, where it will tend to clog orobstruct the free flow of iiuid.

The object of the invention is to provide other means of securing thisimportant result than I have heretofore provided.

The invention consists in the means employed for directing the cut orsevered disk outward from the main or its attachments, substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in the clauses ofthe claim.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters indicate correspondingparts in each of the figures, Figure l is a central longitudinal sectionof the improvedtapping apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section ofthe same, taken on line x.

In said drawings, a indicates the main-supply-pipe in which the tap isto be made.

b is a collar adapted to be adjusted upon said main to strengthen andsupport the saine, the said collar being provided with a branch pipe c,having a suitable gate d for closing the longitudinal passage e in saidbranch pipe after making the tap, andf indicates the cutting-tool,annular in shape and having a chamber or recess formed centrally within,into which chamber the disk or section cut from the main enters. Saidtool Works longitudinally in the passage e to and from the main and iscarried by the cuttershaft f. Said shaft is also provided with a drillg, which serves as an extension of said shaft and lies at the axialcenter of the cutting-tool in the chamber therein. It projects forwardlybeyond the cutting-edges of said tool, so as to lirst engage the pipe ormain a and enter the same. It thus provides a bearing by means of whichgreater rigidity and strength is secured in cutting the disk or sectionfrom the pipe or main. ln the priorpatent above referred to purelymechanical means were employed to hold the severed disk or section or toprovide a shoulder to hold the piece. In the present case I dispensewith a shoulder or catch to hold said piece and allow the water-pressurealone to serve the purpose. To secure this end effectually and well, Iprovide means for relieving the severed disk from water-pressure behindthe same, (or toward the chamber,) so that the water-pressure of themain on the side toward the tapped aperture will be allowed to act tohold the said disk upon the drill or Within the annular cutter f as saidcutter is drawn backward from the main pipe in the chamber e.

The means employed for reducing the pressure behind the disk arewater-ducts 7L 7L', leading from the said annular chamber outward towardand into the outer air. These ducts are formed in any suitable manner toaccomplish the result, but are preferably as indi cated in the drawings,where h indicates a central longitudinal passage formed in the shaft f',and h are smaller passages radiating from the end of the main channelinto the annular chamber, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the Water willescape evenly from opposite points in said chamber and reduce thepressure therein uniformly. The outer pressure of the water from themain will thus be allowed to act to force the disk inward or to hold itfrom becoming disconnected from the drill or cutter. Thus the water ofthe main or supply pi pe serves as the automatic means for holding thedisk and prevent it from dropping into the main or from becomingdetached from the tapping apparatus. I may employ these means inconnection with the mechanical holders above referred to, and thusinsure increased safety, so that should the. said mechanical means bebroken or be- IOO come inoperative the Water-pressure alone will effectthe desired result.

The operation of the improvements having been suficiently described,more particular description here is deemed to be unnecessary.

I am aware that modifications may be made in the devices describedWithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, .what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination, With the cutterfand drill g, of a shaft for operating saidcutter and drill, the said shaft being provided with a duct to allow theoutlioW of liquid, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a cutter having a chamber to receive thesevered disk, of a duct leading from said chamber to the open air,whereby the pressure on said disk will be reduced on the side towardsaid chamber, substantially as set forth.

i *3. The combination', with the longitudinal shaft ot a tappingapparatus having a drill and annular cutter secured at the end thereof,of a duct formed in said shaft and extending from the interior of saidannular cutter to the outer air, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination, the main or supply pipe a, branch e,longitudinally-perforated shaft f', having the annular cutter fthereon,and the extension' drilling-tool f, the perforation in said shaftleading into said annular cutter, as indicated, means for operating theshaft, and a gate d for closing the branch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this30th day of December, 1891.

ANTHONY I. SMITH.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, OSCAR A. MICHEL.

